Piano-player case.



PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

J. HATTEMER.

PIANO PLAYER CASE.

No. 784,045. I PATENTED MAR. '7, 1905. J. HATTEMER.

PIANO PLAYER CASE.

APPLIOATlON FILED JUNE 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGS.

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Patented March '7, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEf JUSTUS HATTEMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HARDMAN, PECK & (30., A FIRM, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-PLAYER- CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,045, dated March '7', 1905.

Application filed June 80, 1904. Serial No. 214,768.

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J Us'rUs HATTEMER, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, residing at the city of New York, State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Piano- Player (Jase, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of piano-player cases, more particularly the case-top, in manner giving convenient access to the music-rolls and the stops and other parts of the automatic playing mechanism, while promoting the strength and ornate appearance of the instrument.

The invention includes a special arrangement of slides forming parts of the preferably removable case-top and adjustable laterally to give access to the music-rolls and stops and also to cover and protect these and adjacent parts of the automatic playing mechanism when the instrument is not in use or during transportation. The slides preferably have movement-limiting shoulders or parts and they also preferably have constant connection with the removable case-top however it may be handled.

The invention also includes readily-operative locking devices adapted to securely fasten the case-top to its main body portion and permitting quick and easy unfastening and removal and replacement and fastening of the top as may be required.

The invention will first be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a piano-player embodying the invention and with the top slides open. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the removed case-top with the slides closed. Fig. 3 is an outer end top perspective view of the removed right-hand slide. Fig. 4: is a rear perspective view of the removed case-top. Fig. 5 is an enlarged central transverse vertical sectional view of the removed case-top, taken on the line a a in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a broken sectional end view showing the applied top locked to the case-body. Fig. 7 is a reduced scale detail longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken on the line 7) in Fig. 6, with one slide open and the other closed; and Fig. 8 is a partly-broken sectional plan view showing the applied and locked case-top with both slides closed.

The main lower body portion 1 of the pianoplayer case may have any approved construction adapting it, to sustain the pedals 2 and other necessary parts of the automatic playing mechanism. The case-body has an upper lixed shelf 3, sustaining the supports 4 a, providing between them a chamber 5, in which are held the music-rolls 6, one only of which is shown, and the tracker 7, over which travels the usual perforated paper sheet for producing the music under control of suitable lever, pushbut ton, or other steps 8, preferably arranged in the shelf 3 at the front of the chamber This chamber may or may not have an inner transparent cover of suitable material through which the music-sheet is visible during playing of a piano by striker-levers of the player acting upon the piano-keys in wellknown manner. The playercase top 9 is preferably made removable from the case-body lto give access to the music-rel l-d riving mechanism and otherinterior parts. This top 9 has the usual rear folding leaf 10, which when swung down on its hinges to the lixed steps 11 conceals and protects the pianokey-operatingstrikers of the player.

Piano-player cases have usually been made with a central hinged outside lid or cover which is swung upward and rearward during use of the instrument. This invention provides instead of said hinged lid the outside cover-slides 12 13, which are laterally adjustable in the case-top 9 and may be opened, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to give access to the music-rolls and stops 6 8 during use of the player and may be closed, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 8, to conceal the rolls and stops and protect them from injury and dust 'when the player is out of use or duringtransportation. The usual size of the player-case i makes it desirable to use two cover-slides 12 13, respectively, opening into opposite end and portions of the case-top 9; but with other l proportions but one slide may be employed. Hence the term slides is to be construed as meaning either one or two slides adapted to form an outside protecting-cover for the chamber 5 and the music-rolls and adjacent parts therein when the player is not in use.

The cover-slides 12 13 are preferably provided with horizontally-projecting metal edgings or tongues 14 15, which respectively enter grooves 16 17 made at lower front and upper rear portions of the case-top. Each slide is preferably made in general right-angular form or with upper and front portions corresponding with the general form of the upper and front walls of the case-top. Each slide also preferably has an interior reinforcing brace or bracket 18, preferably located at its outer end, and giving the whole slide structure great strength and durability. A knob or button 19 on each slide facilitates its operation. The special object of making the slides with connected top and front portions is to provide for full and instant exposure of both the music-rolls -6 and the interior front stops 8. Should these stops be otherwise located, the slides may consist of top portions only, movable to give access to the rolls for changing the music-sheet; but the illustrated arrangement of stops and form of slide are preferred in practice. It is especially desirable to give the upper front and end portions of the case-top the ornate ogee form shown in the drawings and to shape the slides correspondingly. Felt strips 20 (shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings) may be glued along the outer edges of the roll-supports L to prevent noise from the slides, and said felt strips may be colored to give a pleasing edging effect when the slides are opened.

It requires but a few moments to either open or close the slides. These movements are limited by stop shoulders or parts which may be provided in various waysas, for instance, by fixing felt-faced blocks 21 on the slides to strike the outer faces of the roll-supports 4 as the slides are closed to a central line over the roll-chamber 5 and by causing the outer ends of the slides to strike shoulders 22, formed in the casetop,as the slides are opened. It will be specially noticed that the slides 12 13 always are held by their tongue-and-groove joints to the case-top or are in constant engagemei'it with said top. This is specially desirable when the top is made removable from the case-body, as the slides can never fall from the ease-top, however it may be handled when removed.

Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings show that the opposite ends of the case-top 9 lit at the outer faces and at both ends of upwardly-projeeting tongues or portions 23 of the player-case body 1. The meeting vertical shoulders of the parts 9 23 thus resist lateral strains brought upon the case-top while moving the entire player by handling the top in the usual manner. These vertical tln'ust-resisting shoulders are preferably reinforced by like shoulders of dowel-pins 24, inserted in the casebody ends and adapted to holes in the casetop, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 6 and by dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The tongues 23 and dowel-pins 2 1 may of course be on the top 9 and lit into end portions of the case-body. The abovenamed thrust-resisting shoulders also relieve from undue or excessive strains the locking devices which secure the removable top to the case-body and are next described. These locking devices consist of movable plates sustained at or near joints of the case top and body and relatively fixed dctents engaged by said plates and detachably securing the casetop to its body portion. It is preferred to make these locking-plates in the form of [lat metal pieces 25, set vertically edgewise and held one to the inner face of each end of the removable case-top 9 by screws 26, passing through horizontal slots 27 of the plates to permit endwise movement thereof by means of rods 28, fixed to the plates and passing, preferably, through the rear wall of the top 9 and carryinga button or head 29. Each locking-plate 25 has one or more (prefcrablyhvo) angular slots 30, which are open at the lower end and may be engaged by outbent heads of the relatively fixed pins or detents 31, securely fastened to the case-body. A spring 32, fastened, preferably, to the case-top 9, bears upon the inner face of the movable locking-plate 25 to hold it snugly and noiselessly in place against the end wall of the case-top, which has vertical grooves 33, giving full clearance for the ends of the heads of the fixed detents 31. When the case-top 9 is to be removed, it only is necessary to first draw the buttons 29 rearward from the position shown in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings, thereby moving the plates 25 rearward to the position shown in Fig. 5 and carrying the vertical portions of the plate-slots 30 into line with the heads of the case-body detents 31, which permits the entire top 9 to be lifted from the case-body 1 as the locking-plate slots 30 draw free from the detents 31. To replace and lock the case-top, it is set upon the body as the tongues 23 and dowel-pins 24; engage their respective openings and while the plates 25 are drawn rearward, and then the buttons 29 are pushed in forward, which moves the plates 25 forward to cause the horizontal parts of their slots 30 to lock with the case-bod y dctents 31, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings. The case-top thus may be easily and almost instantly unlocked by any one to permit its removal for access to parts of the player mechanism and may as easily be locked when replaced on the case-body.

It will be specially noticed that when the slides 12 13 of the applied case-top are open when the player is in use there are no cover or lid projections above the top of the playercase such as appear when a rearwardly-opening hinged lid is used for closing the musicroll chamber. The ornate appearance of the entire player-case thus is fully preserved, and the pleasing effect of the combined piano and player also is enhanced, while the chances of injury to the cover-slides are much less than prevail with hinged covers. This invention also is clearly distinguishable from a playercase shown in a prior patent and having slides moving laterally above upper walls of the case-top and upon necessarily-exposed guides held thereto. These exposed guides mar the ornamental effect and a case fitted with them lacks full measure of utility which in a structure of this character is derived very largely from the symmetry and beauty of the whole design. In this invention, wherein the slides giving access to the music-rolls are fitted for movement inside of the outer wall of the casetop and upon or within guides which are practically concealed from view, the symmetry and beauty of the case-top are preserved and practical utility is quite fully realized.

Various modifications of this invention besides those above named may be made by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the appended elaiins as, for instance, the slotted locking-plates may be fitted on the case-body for engaging detents fixed to the removable case-top and other changes may suggest themselves as any special design of the player-case may make desirable or necessary.

I claim as my invention- 1. A piano-player case having a top formed with an opening at the music-rolls and having adjustable slides provided with horizontallyextending tongues at their forward lower edges and upward rear edges,-said tongues fitting grooves located on the inner surface of the case-top, so that the slides will move inside the ease-top.

2. A piano-player case havinga body and a removable top, means movably attached to one of said members for connecting it with the other member, or disconnecting it therefrom, springs secured to the same member which carries said movable connecting means, and in engagement with said connecting means to prevent rattling.

3. Apiano-playercase having a removable top, sliding locking-plates sustained at or near joints of the case top and body portions and having connected rods operative from outside the case for adjusting the plates, and relatively fixed detents engaged by said plates and detachably securing the case-top to its body portion.

4. A piano-playercase having a removable top, sliding locking-plates held to said top and having connected rods operative from outside the case for adjusting the plates, and relatively fixed detents held to the case-body and adapted for engagement by the plate-slots for detachably securing the case-top to its body portion.

5. A piano player case having a removable top formed with an opening at the musicrolls, and having adjustable slides movable inside of the outer wall of said top to give access to the rolls and adapted to close said opening to conceal and protect the rolls; said case having sliding locking-plates sustained at or near joints of its top and body portions and having connected rods operative from outside the case for adjusting the plates, and relatively fixed detents engaged by said plates for detachably securing the case-top to its body portion.

6. The combination with the player -case body having fixed headed detents 31, of a removable case top having sliding lockingplates 25 provided with angular open slots 30 adapted to engage the detents when the plates are moved endwise to thereby lock the casetop to its body portion; said slotted plates having rearwardly-projecting rods 28 operative from outside the case for adjusting the plates.

7 The combination with the player-case body having fixed headed detents 31, of a removable case top having sliding lockingplates 25 provided with angular open slots 30 adapted to engage the detents when the plates are moved endwise to thereby lock the casetop to its body portion; said slotted plates having rearwardly-projecting rods 28 operative from outside the case for adjusting the plates; and springs 32 holding the lockingplates to avoid annoying rattling sounds from them.

JUS US H ATTEh IER.

\Vitnesses:

J osnrii U. FRANKFI, ALVIN K. (Jroomvm. 

